Lady Holder JiellePersona Information: Name: Jielle Age: 46 Gender: Female Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual Rank/Craft: Lady Holder - Jinani Mother: Loyelle, 76, Widow Father: Jouret, deceased, Minor Holder Siblings: None. Foster Parents: None Significant Other: Lord Zarik Children: Lord Holder's Heir Liek. Persona Appearance: Jielle is an unimposing woman. With whispy brown hair that has lightened with age, and standing at a petite 5'2", she has always appeared as if she could blow away in the wind. She has a small head, with her dark brown eyes in the center of a pale, solemn face. Her shoulders are narrow and she has a slight stoop; her hands are small and red-knuckled. She is very thin, and has a shrunken figure. It is hard to imagine that she was once pretty, but Jielle was a lovely girl a few decades ago. If once imagines her with somewhat darker hair pulled back in a long braid, and without the stoop, wearing a brightly colored dress, and with a smile on her face, one can almost see her as a blushing young bride who all the young men wanted to dance with. Persona Personality: Jielle is a very, very good actress. Or a liar, if you prefer; Jielle would rather be called an actress. If it weren't for her ability to lie with the utmost sincerity, she is sure she would have gone mad years ago. She is very good at pretending to be the dull, stupid, docile wife of a callous man, to dimwitted to realize that he does not love her. She acts like a wherry-hen in public, doting on him and her son and constantly keeping up a stream of inane chatter. Her son and husband both think she's an idiot, but she doesn't care. Her son, Liek, is healthy and certain to be the heir, and Jielle likes nothing better than Zarik staying away from her. Jielle is a strong woman, for all her pale features and play at being the dimglow. She is so strong that no one has ever seen through her act, not since the first year of her marriage with Zarik. She never cries, never shouts, never screams with frustration that she could have had more, been more, done more than she has been allowed. Persona History: Jielle was the only daughter of a happy marriage. Her father had been the fifth son of the Lord Holder of Keroon; he came south to settle the land and raise fat, happy babies in t he southern sun. He brought a young, cheerful, hardworking woman with him, and together they built a prosperous farmhold, raising fruit trees and fine runners and wheat. Jielle was spoilt by them, and grew up a happy, carefree child. She learned quickly, and was reading by the age of six turns, early for a hold lass; the local harper thought that she was unusually bright, for a girl. It was always "for a girl" - she was a good rider, for a girl, a good swimmer, for a girl, a hard worker, for a girl. Never was she just good at something; always, she was reminded that she was female, and therefore could not be holder after her parents, or become a crafter, or ride a fighting dragon. Jielle was never taught of successful, independant women; always, she was raised to believe that women must marry, have babies, and serve their husbands. Her parents loved each other and were good to each other, but Loyelle always obeyed Jouret, and Jielle was punished should she ever disobey a man. By her nineteenth year, she was resigned to being a woman, and therefore useless as anything but a wife. She was pleased enough to hear of her betrothal to the Lord of Jinani - it would be a good match, and would bring stability for her and her children, as well as for her parents. She accepted it with little fuss, knowing that a better oppurtunity was highly unlikely. That is, until she was searched for a queen egg by an Atoran rider. Her parents refused to let her stand, and not knowing she had the right to disobey, she was married without ever visiting the Weyr. It was not until turns later that she learned she had the right to stand whether or no her parents wished it, and by then she was too old. At first, she thought that she could make Zarik love her. He visited her bed often enough in the first months, and she thought it was because he loved her, not because he wanted an heir. After Liek, he did not come again; a healthy boy was enough, and he wanted to run his hold. She was obedient, but she chaffed. He would not allow her to work in the hold, and she was not permitted to visit other holdings; she was supposed to stay in her quarters, look after her son, and embroider. Women's work. Liek grew into a fine and healthy boy, and as was custom was fostered out to Daragon. Jielle was very lonely then, and the trouble started a year after Liek left. A pretty, intelligent woman of twenty-seven, with a husband who ignores her and nothing to do is prime material for infidelity. She began to test the limits, seeing how far she could go before Zarik censured her. She danced with young, lowborn men and gathers, she dressed provocatively for a matron, she allowed herself to be treated with familiarity by the drudges. She acted as innappropriately as she could think of without actually being an adulteress, and her husband was oblivious. She did not sleep with other men in the first years; she simply sought out company. But, as time went by, she began to be free with her favors. A good-looking young man who could keep his mouth shut might find his way to her bed if Zarik was particularly engrossed with his work; he would then find himself well-placed at a minor hold some distance away with the Lady's reccomendations. All the while, she appeared the docile, obediant wife in public and acted like a fool to her husband. He bought it. Jielle hated herself then. She had always been brought up to be obediant and faithful to her husband, and now she was doing the opposite, but she hated her life more, and these dalliances were the only excitement in her life. Yet when Liek came home, she stopped them. She wanted to be close to her son, and she wouldn't let anything endanger that. Yet Liek had no respect for her. He believed, like all the others, that she was a fool, and that her act was real. She could not talk to him without him dismissing her curtly, treating her like a brainless laundress. She could do nothing. There have been times when Jielle has contemplated killing herself, but she would far prefer to kill Zarik, if she could. He, who ignores her, who tells his son that his mother is an idiot, who has made her life a torment. He is the one who deserves to die, in her mind. And then, she will hold onto power - let her son try to cheat her out of it! Hold Information: Hold Name: Jinani Hold Hold Size: Major Position in Hold: Lord Holder's Heir All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright© Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2001, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. |
